The New Kat
by Kim Dreamcatcher
Summary: 1ST IN SERIES: When Jake and Chance accept a prisoner on parole, they get more than they bargain for when she finds out their secret.


THE NEW KAT

It was early afternoon at MegaKat Maximum Security Prison. Inside a white room, separate from the numerous prison cells, a council of five kats had gathered together for a parole trial. The council members had just taken their seats when a prison security guard escorted a she-kat dressed in the bright orange prison uniform and black boots into the room. Her fur was dark caramel brown with dark brown blotchy stripes decorating her forearms. Her long dark brown hair was braided into pigtails. The she-kat looked up at the council with her bright amethyst eyes. In the bright white light, a small blotchy stripe was clearly noticed over her left eye.

The she-kat took a seat at a table, which was facing the council. Also sitting at the table was a middle-aged tomkat, who was wearing navy blue pants, a pale blue dress shirt, and a white lab coat.

One of the kats, apparently the parole judge, stood up from his seat. "We are here today to determine whether the prisoner, Tabitha Katterson, is ready to re-enter society," he announced. "Miss Katterson, please stand." The she-kat willingly stood up as requested.

"From what I understand, you are currently serving a fifteen year sentence for thirteen counts of burglary, correct?" the parole judge asked.

"Yes, sir," Tabitha replied with a slight Australian accent.

The parole judge opened a small folder lying in front of him and quickly read over a piece of paper in the folder. "So far, you have served six years here at MegaKat Maximum Security Prison. According to your sentence, you have the ability to merit parole six years within your prison sentence," he muttered out loud.

A second kat sitting next to the judge stood up. "Dr. Lynx, what's your report on Miss Katterson's behavior over the past six years?" he asked the tomkat sitting next to the she-kat.

"Well, I must say that Miss Katterson is the most well-behaved prisoner I have seen in my thirty years here at MegaKat Prison," Dr. Lynx admitted as he stood up. "If you do agree to grant her parole, I would like to enroll her in our work program. There is a spot open for Miss Katterson, based on her experience and education in mechanics."

There was a quick whispered conversation between the four council members and the judge. Tabitha and Dr. Lynx were still standing, patiently waiting for the council's decision.

As the four kats sat back down, the judge announced, "Parole granted." A huge smile spread on Tabitha's face when she heard the news. The parole judge removed some more papers from the folder, signed them at the bottom, and handed the papers to Dr. Lynx.

"All you need to do is sign the release papers, Dr. Lynx, and Miss Katterson will be free to go," the parole judge announced as Dr. Lynx read over the release papers and added his signature to the papers.

"Best of luck to you, Miss Katterson," the parole judge announced as he and the four council members prepared to leave...

A couple of hours had passed since Tabitha's trial. She was now patiently waiting by the main doors of MegaKat Maximum Security Prison. Tabitha was no longer wearing her bright orange prison uniform. She was now wearing a red baseball cap, a white T-shirt, and denim overalls.

As Tabitha adjusted the red-and-white flannel shirt tied around her waist, she heard a familiar voice ask, "Ready to go so soon?" She looked up at Dr. Lynx, who was approaching her.

"Are you kidding me? I can't wait to leave this place!" Tabitha replied excitedly.

"Your Enforcer escort should be here in a few minutes, so just be patient," Dr. Lynx told her. He extended his paw to Tabitha. "Best of luck to you, Miss Katterson."

"Thanks, Dr. Lynx," Tabitha replied as she willingly shook the doctor's paw. Just then, an Enforcer patrol car pulled up near the entrance.

"That must be my ride," Tabitha remarked as she picked up a red and black duffel bag next to her feet and headed out the door, followed by Dr. Lynx.

As the two kats approached the patrol car, an Enforcer stepped out of the car. The Enforcer was a she-kat with tan fur and shoulder-length black hair with noticeable white streaks. "Dr. Lynx?" the Enforcer addressed the prison's doctor.

"Yes, I'm Dr. Lynx," he replied.

"Lieutenant Felina Feral, sir, here to escort Miss Tabitha Katterson to her designated workplace," the Enforcer replied, showing Dr. Lynx her badge as proof.

"Feral...why does that name sound familiar?" Tabitha muttered out loud.

"Perhaps you heard of my uncle, Commander Feral?" Felina asked.

"He must have got promoted or something, 'cause I remember a Major Feral, but not a Commander Feral," Tabitha muttered out loud.

"He did get promoted to Commander five years ago," Felina revealed.

"I guess I should read the paper more thoroughly from now on," Tabitha reluctantly admitted.

Dr. Lynx glanced at his watch for a moment. "Well, I need to be going now. Once again, good luck to you, Miss Katterson."

As he headed back into the prison, Tabitha shouted, "Thanks again, Dr. Lynx! Goodbye!" Dr. Lynx waved goodbye to her before re-entering MegaKat Maximum Security Prison.

"We should get going, Miss Katterson," Felina announced as the two she-kats headed to the patrol car...

Meanwhile, at the secret hangar hidden underneath the garage at MegaKat Salvage Yard, Jake Clawson was busy working on a large motorcycle. It was similar to the Cyclotron, only it was sleeker in design and painted more like the TurboKat.

"Hey, Jake," he heard a familiar voice announce. Jake looked up from the motorcycle and saw his buddy and partner, Chance Furlong, climbing down the ladder leading from the garage above them.

"Hey, Chance," he replied before he picked up a wrench from the floor. Chance skipped the last two steps of the ladder and landed on the hangar's concrete floor.

The burly tomkat pulled up a chair and sat down. He watched Jake tinker around with the motorcycle for a while. Finally, Chance couldn't contain himself any longer. "Are you almost finished with that thing, Jake?" he blurted out.

Jake glanced at Chance for a second. "Chance, this isn't something I can rush," he explained. "I should be finished in a couple of days. There are still a few bugs I have to work out."

"So... what's that thing supposed to do?" Chance asked curiously. "You've been pretty quiet about it."

"Well, since you're dying to know more..." Jake teased his friend with a small smirk. He pointed at the motorcycle with his wrench. "I call this the TurboCycle. Unlike any normal motorcycle, this baby can fly just like the TurboKat!"

"Get outta here!" Chance exclaimed in disbelief.

"It's true, Chance," Jake explained. "Once the TurboCycle is fully operational, it can function as both a terrestrial and aerial vehicle. With its small size, the TurboCycle will be able to go through caves and passages that are too small for the TurboKat. And since its steering mechanisms are just like those on the Cyclotron, anyone who can ride a motorcycle can operate the TurboCycle when it's in flight."

"How does that work?" Chance asked.

"There's a switch on the control panel that will switch the TurboCycle in 'Jet Mode,' " Jake explained. "Contained within the TurboCycle is a pair of mini-jet wings, complete with mini-intakes. Theoretically, when the switch is flipped, the wings will emerge from the body of the TurboCycle, along with a canopy, and it will take off like a normal jet would. I'll have to test it out when I'm finished, of course, just to make sure everything's in working order."

"Sounds awesome, buddy," Chance admitted. "Can't wait to try it out!"

"I knew you would like the TurboCycle," Jake admitted as he continued working on the motorcycle. After a couple of minutes, Jake asked, "What time is it?"

Chance quickly glanced at his watch. "It's almost four-thirty. Why?" he asked.

To Chance's surprise, he heard a loud metallic clang on the concrete floor. He quickly looked up at Jake, who had dropped the wrench he was using. The expression on Jake's face was one of pure shock, as though he had just remembered something extremely important.

"Jake? What's the matter, buddy?" Chance asked.

"Don't you remember, Chance?" Jake asked as he quickly got up and ran toward the ladder. "Felina's gonna be here any minute with that kat from the MegaKat Prison work program!"

"Aw, crud! I forgot all about that!" Chance exclaimed as he followed Jake up the ladder to their garage. Jake ran to the garage entrance as Chance closed the trap door leading to the hangar.

"That's a relief. They're not here yet," Jake announced as he headed back to the hallway.

"Tell me again why we volunteered for this thing?" Chance asked sarcastically as he covered the trap door with a throw rug.

"Because Feral insisted on it, that's why," Jake reminded him. "He said that if we volunteered for this thing, he would take some money off of our so-called debt to the Enforcers. Feral also added that if we turned him down, we better have a good excuse. And you know we can't tell him the truth, Chance."

"That's true, Jake," Chance reluctantly admitted, "but what if this kat we're taking in finds out we're the Swat Kats? I doubt we can trust what's-his-name with our secret."

"His name is Katterson, Chance," Jake reminded him.

"Does he have a first name?" Chance asked.

"Of course, he does. I just don't know what it is," Jake admitted. "The phone connection was really bad, so it was hard to hear everything." Just then, an Enforcer patrol car pulled into the garage.

"Now remember, Chance, we know Felina through our Swat Kat gig, but she doesn't know who we are, all right?" Jake whispered.

"Gotcha, buddy," Chance whispered as Felina stepped out of the patrol car and approached them.

"Good evening, Lieutenant," Jake greeted.

"Good evening to you as well," Felina replied.

As Jake and Felina were talking, Chance noticed that the passenger door of the Enforcer car was being opened. To his surprise, a she-kat stepped out of the Enforcer car, carrying a red and black duffel bag. She was wearing a white T-shirt, denim overalls, a red-and-white flannel shirt tied around her waist, and a red baseball cap that shielded her eyes.

"Guys, this is Tabitha Katterson from the MegaKat Prison work program you signed up for," Felina explained.

"Nice to meet you, Tabitha," Jake greeted as he extended his paw to her.

Tabitha hesitated for a moment before she shook Jake's paw. "Yeah, likewise," she replied in an Australian accent. Just then, an alarm went off in the Enforcer car.

"Excuse me for a minute," Felina muttered out loud as she headed for the patrol car. She got into the driver's seat, picked up the hand-held radio, and replied, "This is Lieutenant Feral here." After listening for a few minutes, Felina announced, "On my way."

As she put the hand-held radio back, Chance asked, "What's going on, Lieutenant?"

"There's a robbery in progress at MegaKat Savings. I have to go now," Felina explained as she started the engine and quickly pulled out of the garage.

"So, you want to get settled in your room?" Jake asked.

"Yeah, I guess," Tabitha replied as she followed Jake and Chance down a hallway. The two tomkats stopped at the last door.

As Jake opened it, Chance told her, "We'll give you a few minutes to get settled in. If you're hungry, there's some leftover pizza in the fridge." Tabitha nodded as she stepped into the room.

As Jake and Chance headed back to the living room, Chance whispered a bit loudly, "Jake, you didn't tell me she was a girl!"

"Keep it down, Chance! She'll hear you," Jake whispered back as they entered the kitchen. Jake sat down at the table before he continued. "Truth is, I wasn't expecting a girl either, Chance. Like I said before, I only got her last name since the phone connection was bad. Let's at least give her a chance, Chance. If she wasn't good in mechanics, they wouldn't have recommended her, would they?"

"Guess not," Chance replied with his head inside the refrigerator. He emerged a few moments later with a pizza box. Jake watched as Chance brought the pizza box to the table, removed a slice of pizza, and took a bite.

"Chance, don't eat it all. Save a couple of slices for Tabitha."

"Did someone say my name?" The two mechanics looked at Tabitha, who was standing at the kitchen entrance. She walked in and sat at the table with Jake and Chance.

"Ya hungry?" Chance asked. Tabitha nodded her head, and Chance got her a slice of cold pizza and a can of milk.

As she was eating, Chance asked, "How is it?"

"A lot better than prison food, that's for sure," Tabitha replied as she opened the can of milk with her claw.

"Do you mind telling us about your background as a mechanic?" Jake asked. "You know, like your education and past experiences."

"Well, I got two degrees," Tabitha started. "I have a Bachelors in Computer Technology, and a Masters in Advanced Mechanics."

"What kind of vehicles have you worked on?" Jake asked.

"I've practically tinkered with every vehicle that exists," Tabitha explained. "I worked on all sorts of cars and motorcycles, and I've tinkered a bit with helicopter and jet engines."Jake and Chance eyed each other when they heard this news.

"Yeah, okay, but have you ever worked as a mechanic before?" Chance asked.

"Actually, I never worked in a garage before," Tabitha admitted. "I was arrested some time after finishing college."

"Do you mind telling us why you were arrested?" Jake asked.

Tabitha took in a deep breath before replying, "I was arrested on thirteen counts of burglary." She noticed that Jake and Chance were looking at her suspiciously.

"I swear, I've changed my ways since then," Tabitha denied.

"Don't worry, Tabitha," Jake tried to convince her. "We believe you. Right, Chance?"

"Yeah, sure. We trust you, kid," Chance admitted. Tabitha stared at him coldly.

"That was uncalled for, Chance. I'm not a kid!" Tabitha told him.

"You minding telling us what kind of burglary you did?" Chance asked suspiciously.

"No way! I don't have to tell you anything!" Tabitha yelled.

"Chance, lay off, okay?" Jake interrupted.

Chance reluctantly kept his mouth shut. "Sorry, Tabitha," he muttered out loud.

"Thanks, appreciate it," Tabitha muttered. "Look, I don't exactly feel like going into details or anything."

"Look, if you don't want to tell us, you don't have to," Jake assured Tabitha.

"I'll probably tell you later on. It's just... it's kinda uncomfortable talking about your past, especially when it involves a criminal record," Tabitha admitted. "All I'm gonna say for now is that at the time, I was young and extremely naïve, although that's not really an excuse for what I've done."

"So, have you been cleared of all charges yet?" Jake asked as Tabitha took a drink of milk.

"Well, not exactly," she admitted. "It'll take a few days for my records to be cleared out. I really dislike the judicial system here in this country." All that was left on the table in front of Tabitha now was an empty can of milk and a couple of pieces of pizza crust.

"You know, if you're gonna work here with us, kid, you're gonna have to look like us," Chance pointed out.

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Tabitha asked suspiciously.

"Well, you'll get your uniform tomorrow, but for now..." Chance took Tabitha's red baseball cap off, turned it around, and put it back on her head backwards. Jake and Chance were slightly taken aback by her violet eyes and the dark brown stripe over her left eye.

Tabitha noticed the stares from Jake and Chance. She could feel her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Tabitha quickly looked away and shielded her eyes with her left paw.

Jake took her paw with his own and gently pulled it away from her face. "It's all right, Tabitha," he told her softly. "You have no reason to be ashamed about your looks."

Tabitha looked at Jake and realized he was being sincere. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "Sometimes, I just get so sick and tired of all the stares." Tabitha paused for a few moments. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking a shower and going to bed."

As she got up from the table, Chance asked, "Why so soon? It's still early."

"I'm pretty beat, and tomorrow's gonna be my first day on the job. And one other thing, I'd prefer it if you two call me Tabby for short," Tabitha added before she left the kitchen...

It was late at night in MegaKat City. Jake and Chance were watching "The David Litterbin Show" in the living room.

"Now is the time for tonight's Top Ten List," David Litterbin announced as he picked up a piece of paper from his desk. "Tonight's list: 'Top Ten Signs You Smoke Too Much.'" The studio audience applauded as David prepared to read the list.

"Number ten is...In the middle of smoking a cigarette, you pause for a 'cigarette break!' Number nine is...Your birthday is a state holiday in North Carolina! Number eight is..." David's voice was blocked out by the sound of the Klaxon going off.

"Aw, crud!" Jake exclaimed as they got up. "I hope that didn't wake up Tabby."

"Go check on her, Jake," Chance told him as he removed the rug that was covering the trap door. "I'll answer the call."

While Chance headed down the ladder, Jake walked down the hall to Tabby's room. He opened the door a crack and peeked in. Tabby was still in her bed, fast asleep, or so it seemed. Jake breathed a sigh of relief as he carefully closed the door.

Just then, Tabby opened her eyes and got out of bed. She slowly crept to the door and listened in on Jake and Chance's conversation.

"Tabby's still asleep," she heard Jake whisper. "What's going on?"

"It's Hard Drive," she heard Chance whisper. "He's robbing MegaKat City National Bank."

"We better head for the hangar," Jake whispered.

Tabby heard a small thud, like the sound of a door closing, followed by complete silence. She waited for a few minutes before she opened the door and entered the hallway. Tabby was wearing a white T-shirt, gray sweatpants, and white socks. Her long dark brown hung loosely over her shoulders and swayed as she crept down the hall toward the living room. When Tabby reached the living room, she noticed that the small rug was moved and right where it once laid was a wooden trap door.

"Those two are hiding something from me," Tabby told herself as she grabbed the metal handle, "and I'm gonna find out what." She pulled hard on the handle and the trap door opened, revealing a metal ladder going down.

Tabby took a deep breath and made her way down the ladder. When she reached the bottom, Tabby turned around and gasped. All around her were several advanced computers and heavy machinery. To her left, Tabby saw an amazing looking motorcycle. It resembled a large road racer, with two bright red mini-turbojet engines in the back, and was painted midnight black with bright red tiger stripes.

"Whoa! What a beauty!" Tabby exclaimed as she walked toward it to take a better look. She slowly ran her paw over the body of the cycle and the black leather seat.

"Hold on a minute," Tabby murmured to herself. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say this cycle is painted exactly like the TurboKat! But then, that would mean..."

Tabby turned her head around and spotted some beat-up old lockers. Two of them stood out since one had a black "R" on the door, and the other had a black "TB" on it. Tabby walked over to the lockers and stopped in front of the one with the "R" on it. She grabbed the handle and pulled the door open. She gasped when she saw two spare blue and red G-suits, a blue and red helmet, and a black mask with mesh covering the eyeholes. Becoming more suspicious, she opened the locker with the "TB" and found the exact same items.

"This confirms it," Tabby told herself triumphantly. "Jake and Chance are Razor and T-Bone! They're the Swat Kats! And this must be their hangar!" Tabby was silent for a moment before she closed the lockers and headed back to the ladder...

It was early in the morning, but Tabby was awake and sitting at the kitchen table, with a newspaper in front of her. She was wearing her new work clothes: the turquoise mechanic coveralls, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and black work boots. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and she wore her red baseball cap backwards. For some time, she had been thinking about last night until she heard some footsteps approaching. Tabby picked up the paper and pretended to be reading it as Jake entered the room.

"Morning, Tabby," he greeted as he walked past her toward the cabinet.

"Morning, Jake," Tabby replied, still holding up the newspaper.

"Did you have anything to eat yet?" Jake asked as he pulled out a box of cereal.

"No, not yet."

"Will cereal do?"

"Yeah, sure."

Jake came back to the table and placed down two bowls. He poured cereal into the bowls and slid one of them over to Tabby. As he sat down, Jake asked, "What are you reading?"

"An article on the Swat Kats," Tabby replied nonchalantly, still looking at the paper. This caught Jake by surprise that last night's attempted robbery made it to the morning edition of MegaKat Times.

"Can you tell me what it's about?" Jake asked curiously.

"Well, apparently, this criminal known as Hard Drive broke into MegaKat City National Bank and almost got away with a load full of money," Tabby explained. "Fortunately, the Swat Kats arrived just in time to stop him. There's even a picture of Razor and T-Bone inside the TurboKat."

Jake couldn't stand the suspense any longer. "Mind if I take a look?" he asked.

"Sure thing, Jake," Tabby replied as she handed him the paper. He looked through the pages, but couldn't find any article on the Swat Kats.

"Hey, I can't find that article on..." Jake suddenly stopped talking when he noticed the date at the top of the front page. He was actually looking at yesterday's paper. He looked up at Tabby, who had a half-smirk on her face.

"You know, don't you?" Jake asked, although he already knew her answer. She nodded her head, confirming his suspicions.

"How did you find out?" Jake asked.

"Well, this alarm woke me up last night," Tabby explained, "and I overheard you and Chance talking. I checked out the hangar after you left, and I found a couple of spare G-suits. There were in those lockers marked 'R' for Razor and 'TB' for T-Bone. Am I right so far?"

"Yeah, you are," Jake admitted.

There was silence for a few moments, until Tabby asked, "Did you ever plan on telling me the truth about you guys? It would've been hard keeping this a secret from me forever."

"Well, not at first," Jake admitted, "but that's on account of we didn't really know about you or your background."

"Oh, I get it," Tabby replied. "Before you heard my story, you thought I was some sort of criminal lowlife that would have blackmailed you two if I found out."

Tabby looked straight at Jake and told him, "Believe me, Jake, I would never do that to you or Chance. You do believe me, right?"

Jake looked up at her sparkling violet eyes and realized she was being sincere. "I believe you, Tabby," he admitted.

Just then, Chance entered the kitchen. "Morning, guys," he greeted Jake and Tabby. Chance stopped for a moment. He could sense some tension coming from his friends.

"Okay, what's going on?" Chance asked suspiciously.

"Well, you see," Jake started as he got up from the table, "it seems that Tabby found out about our little secret." Chance's jaw practically dropped when he heard this.

"No need to worry about it, Chance," Tabby told him as she got up. "I'm not going to tell anyone. I swear."

Chance looked at her suspiciously for a moment before replying, "All right, then."

"Well, now that everything's settled," Tabby admitted with a grin on her face, "could we possibly go down to the hangar? I'd like to take a look at the TurboKat."

Jake and Chance quickly glanced at each before Jake replied, "Sure, why not?"

"All right!" Tabby yelled out in triumph as she headed straight for the rug that covered the trap door. Not waiting for Jake or Chance, Tabby kicked the rug aside with her foot and opened the trap door. She looked up at Jake and Chance and asked, "Well, what are you waiting for? Let's go!"

Jake and Chance followed her down the ladder. As soon as they reached the hangar, Chance turned on the lights and Tabby gasped loudly. Parked right in front of her was the TurboKat.

"Oh, wow!" Tabby exclaimed slowly as she walked down the concrete steps to take a closer look. She walked along the side of the TurboKat, staring in awe at the massive jet. She turned around and noticed that Jake and Chance were standing right behind her. "Do you guys mind if I take a little look inside the cockpit?" she asked.

"Go ahead," Chance replied, gesturing toward the TurboKat. As Tabby climbed on top of the wing, Chance looked over at Jake, who had a huge grin on his face.

"Wow! This is absolutely incredible!" Tabby exclaimed while she was looking inside the cockpit. She turned toward Jake and Chance and asked, "How did you guys build this?"

"Well, we built the TurboKat out of scrap metal and spare parts from the salvage yard," Jake replied.

"You did? Really? Amazing!" Tabby asked as she sat on the edge of the wing and pushed herself off. "Would that include all your weapons and missiles as well?" she asked curiously. Jake nodded his head yes.

Tabby turned toward the massive motorcycle she saw last night. "Now, what about this?" she asked as she walked toward it. "I would've called it a Cyclotron, but it's much bigger, and it's also colored differently."

"That's my latest invention," Jake explained as he joined Tabby. "I call it the TurboCycle. It has a dual function: it works as both a terrestrial and an airborne vehicle."

"So, you're saying that you can operate this as both a motorcycle and a mini-jet?" Tabby asked.

"Basically, that's how it's supposed to work," Jake replied. "There's just one problem that I have to fix."

"What sort of problem?" Tabby asked curiously.

"Currently, the TurboCycle has a six-cylinder, 45 horsepower engine," Jake explained. "Because of the engine's horsepower, the amount of time it takes for the TurboCycle to convert into Jet Mode takes longer. In order to launch the TurboCycle properly, we would need a ramp at least twice as long as our underground tunnel, or a more powerful engine."

"Your best shot would be to go with the engine," Tabby suggested. "It'd take too long to make the tunnel longer. It'd probably be best to go for a 75 horsepower engine, like what you'd find in a road racer."

"A 75 would definitely work," Jake muttered thoughtfully, "but the problem is we don't get a lot of road racers in the salvage yard. MegaKat City doesn't have a lot of motorcycle races."

"Well, don't be surprised if you get some cycle parts soon," Tabby told him. "They're having a motorcycle race later today, and you know that at every race, there's likely to be an accident."

"Yeah, that's true," Jake admitted.

"Sounds like you know a lot about the Swat Kats." Tabby and Jake looked up and noticed that Chance had joined them.

"Are you kidding? I'm practically your biggest fan!" Tabby blurted out.

"You are?" Jake asked her.

"Yeah, I'll even prove it to you. Hold on!"

Tabby left the two tomkats and raced back up the ladder. A few minutes later, Tabby came back down into the hangar, carrying a large, worn-out album. When she rejoined Jake and Chance, she opened the album and the two mechanics gasped. Inside the album were several newspaper articles on the Swat Kats. Jake and Chance looked over the articles in awe.

"Hey, I remember this one!" Chance exclaimed, pointing at a large yellowed article with a picture of the TurboKat suspended in the air. "This was from the first time we appeared as the Swat Kats. Remember that, Jake?"

"Yeah, I remember," Jake replied, looking over the article. "We fought Dark Kat that day." Tabby flipped the page, and the next two pages consisted of a long article with a picture of the Metallikats.

"This was the first time you two battled with the Metallikats," Tabby explained. "It's extremely long 'cause the reporter goes into detail about the Metallikats' past lives as that notorious gangster couple, Mac and Molly Mange."

"Hey, Tabby?" Chance asked.

"Yeah?" Tabby asked.

"What's with the interest in the Swat Kats?" Chance asked.

"Chance..." Jake warned his burly friend.

"It's okay, Jake," Tabby admitted. "Well, I was pretty depressed and scared back when I first started serving my sentence at MegaKat Prison. Then one day, I found this copy of the MegaKat Times lying around and I picked it up. On the front page was an article on these two vigilante pilots I never heard of, calling themselves the Swat Kats. I thought the article was interesting, so I tore it out and kept it for myself. Eventually, I came across more stories on you two over the years. I guess I found it fascinating that these two pilots were helping to defend MegaKat City, even if it meant bending some rules and laws."

Tabby flipped the page again, and the next two pages had three smaller articles. On the first page, there was a half-page clipping with a picture of Dr. Viper, and a smaller article entitled "Swat Kats End Oil Embargo." On the adjoining page, there was a long article with pictures of a tank attacking Enforcers at Puma-Dyne Labs and the TurboKat.

"This article," Tabby started, pointed at the clipping with Viper's picture, "was from when Dr. Viper attacked MegaKat City with this disgusting blob-like monster that multiplied into two creatures every time it was split in half."

"Hey, I remember this one," Jake exclaimed, pointing at the smaller one underneath. "That's when we put an end to the cause of the oil embargo: a pair of huge, oil-sucking eels."

"I definitely remember this one," Chance muttered angrily, referring to the article on the adjoining page.

"Yeah, that one's my favorite," Tabby admitted. "The only part I don't like is that Commander Feral put all the blame on you two. And the next day, he ordered his Enforcers to arrest the Swat Kats on sight. Feral doesn't like you guys particularly since you cause a lot of damage to the Puma-Dyne building and such. Not intentionally, of course. I also saw the live KatsEye News broadcast the same day. If the Swat Kats didn't stop Hard Drive that day, he would have gone on a rampage with that Behemoth prototype. The Enforcers couldn't stop him when he was in that tank, and he could've killed innocent..."

Tabby was interrupted by the sound of the Klaxon going off.

"Be quiet, Tabby," Chance whispered to her as Jake answered the call.

"Yes, Miss Briggs?" Jake spoke into the intercom.

"Miss Briggs?" Tabby repeated to herself.

"Swat Kats, there's a huge aircraft heading straight for the city," Callie announced through the speaker. "The Enforcers can't stop it!"

"Hang on, Miss Briggs! We're on our way!" Chance told Callie before he turned off the connection.

As he and Jake ran to their lockers and pulled out their Swat Kat uniforms, Tabby asked, "Miss Briggs...isn't she the Deputy Mayor?"

"Yeah, she is," Chance, now as T-Bone, replied as he put on his helmet.

"She's also a good friend of ours," Jake, now as Razor, admitted as he tied on his mask.

"You mean, she's a good friend of Jake and Chance," Tabby pointed out. "I have a feeling she doesn't know you're the Swat Kats."

"You got that right, kid," T-Bone told her as he jumped onto the TurboKat's wing and opened the canopy.

"Can I come, too?" Tabby asked.

"No way!" T-Bone shouted as he got into the pilot's seat.

"Listen to me, Tabby," Razor whispered as he pulled her aside. "The work we do as the Swat Kats is very dangerous. We had training in aerial combat as Enforcers, so we know what we're doing."

"Hold on," Tabby interrupted. "You two used to be Enforcers?"

"Yup, that's right," Razor admitted.

"Will you two hurry it up?" an annoyed T-Bone shouted from the TurboKat's cockpit.

"I'm almost done, T-Bone," Razor shouted back to him. "Anyway, Tabby," he continued, "bringing you along would put your life in jeopardy. Also, what if someone recognizes you, like Felina? And if not her, then someone else would make the connection and find out our real identities. Our secret almost came out once when the Metallikats found out who we were. We don't want to risk something like that happening again. You understand, don't you, Tabby?" She slowly nodded her head.

"Let's go, Sure Shot, or I'm leaving without you!" T-Bone warned his partner.

Razor quickly put on his helmet and joined T-Bone in the TurboKat. Tabby stepped back and watched as the TurboKat went below the floor and left the hangar...

Meanwhile, in MegaKat City, the kats there were panicking over the massive spaceship looming overhead, casting its dark shadow over half of the city. Several Enforcer helicopters were steadily approaching the giant aircraft, with Commander Feral piloting the lead helicopter. Just then, he heard the familiar sound of a fighter jet flying over his helicopter.

"Terrific," Commander Feral grumbled angrily as he picked up a hand-held radio. "Back off, Swat Kats!" he barked into the radio. "The Enforcers are handling this!"

"Oh, really? Think you can handle that thing, Feral?" T-Bone taunted.

Commander Feral growled angrily to himself. "Enforcers, prepare to attack!" he ordered over the radio. The Enforcer helicopters stopped in mid-air, patiently awaiting Commander Feral's orders.

"Fire missiles!" Commander Feral ordered. The helicopters automatically fired several missiles at the massive aircraft hovering in front of them. Before the missiles were even a hundred feet away from the ship, they suddenly exploded, as though they had all struck an invisible wall.

"Hmm...there must be a force field surrounding the ship, T-Bone," Razor revealed.

"No kidding, Razor!" T-Bone retorted. "Any ideas how to get past it?"

"I'm scanning the force field right now," Razor admitted as he carefully watched his radar screen. "If there's a weak spot in this force field, I'll find it. Fly around the ship a bit, T-Bone."

"You got it!" T-Bone replied as he steered the TurboKat around the massive ship. "Anything yet, Sure Shot?"

"Not yet..." Razor muttered slowly, with his eyes glued to the radar screen. "Wait a minute! Stop here, T-Bone!" T-Bone willingly slowed down the TurboKat.

"Just as I figured, there is a weak spot," Razor admitted, tapping the radar screen with his claw.

"So, how do we get through it, Razor?" T-Bone asked.

"We need to open it up so the TurboKat can pass through," Razor said as he pressed a couple of buttons on the weapons panel.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" T-Bone asked.

"A scrambler missile should do the trick," Razor announced as he selected the missile from his weapons panel. "Locked, loaded, away!" he shouted as he fired the scrambler missile at the force field.

As soon as the missile made contact with the force field, the section of force field surrounding the targeted area lit up with a pale pink light. Suddenly, a large tear appeared in the force field, exactly where Razor's scrambler missile struck it.

"Better hurry, buddy," Razor warned his partner. "I'm not sure how long the force field will stay open."

"Gotcha, buddy," T-Bone agreed as he quickly flew the TurboKat through the tear in the force field right before it closed back up.

"Piece of cake!" T-Bone said as he flew closer to the ship.

"T-Bone, I located a place where we can land the TurboKat," Razor announced. "There should be a landing dock located a little bit to your right." T-Bone looked around at the side of the massive ship until he found what Razor was talking about.

"I'm taking her in," T-Bone announced as he brought the TurboKat into the landing dock and landed her inside. "That was easy," he added as the canopy popped open.

"Yeah... maybe a little too easy," Razor muttered thoughtfully as he put on his Glovatrix. T-Bone grabbed his Glovatrix from a compartment in front of him and put it on.

As the Swat Kats stood up in the TurboKat, they heard a sudden noise from above them. They looked up and saw two large gas vents open up from the ceiling. As soon as they opened up, a thick yellow-green gas shot out from the vents and gathered around the TurboKat and the two Swat Kats.

"It's sleeping gas!" Razor gasped as he covered his mouth, trying his best not to breathe in the fumes. "Don't breathe it in, T-Bone! T-Bone?"

He looked over at the pilot's seat and gasped when he saw his partner slumped over, fast asleep. Razor could feel the effects of the sleeping gas taking over his body. Not being able to fight it any more, Razor fell into his chair, fast asleep. The sleeping Swat Kats never noticed the several pairs of glowing yellow eyes surrounding the TurboKat...

Meanwhile, back at the salvage yard, Tabby was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching the live KatsEye News broadcast from MegaKat City.

"It appears that the Swat Kats have found a way through the force field surrounding the mysterious craft that has appeared above MegaKat City," Ann Gora reported as footage was shown of the TurboKat entering the force field. "Unfortunately, that has happened over an hour ago, and there has been no word from the Swat Kats since," Ann reluctantly added. Before she could continue her report, Tabby turned off the television. She sat on the couch for a while in silent thought.

"Oh, no," Tabby muttered to herself worriedly. "Jake and Chance...I mean, Razor and T-Bone are in deep trouble. And there's nothing I can do to help them." She buried her face in her paws, trying hard to think of some way to help her new friends without blowing their cover.

"There's gotta be a way I can help the guys without exposing their little secret," she muttered thoughtfully. She suddenly gasped as an idea came to her. She quickly got up and ran to her room. Tabby came back to the living room, carrying her duffel bag. She kicked the throw rug out of the way, opened the trap door, and headed down the ladder into the hangar.

When she finally reached the floor of the hangar, Tabby quickly ran over to the lockers. She opened Razor's locker and pulled out one of the spare G- suits, helmet, and mask.

"This should fit me," Tabby muttered to herself as she took off her hat and undid her ponytail. She quickly put on the G-suit and zipped it up.

"A bit snug, but it'll have to do," she remarked as she opened the duffel bag she brought with her. Tabby pulled out a pair of fingerless black gloves made for her and a pair of short black boots with small heels.

"I don't know how those two can stand running around barefoot," she muttered as she took off the work boots she was wearing and put the low-heeled boots on. Next were the fingerless gloves, followed by the mask, and to top it all off, the helmet.

Tabby stood up and looked down at herself. She looked up and noticed that she was facing a grungy mirror. Tabby used her paw to wipe away some of the caked dirt and grime from the mirror.

"Hey, I don't look half bad!" Tabby stated as she stepped back to take a look at herself. "Looks like for now, I'm the new Swat Kat! There's an idea. 'Kat' can be my call name!" She smiled a bit to herself, but then her expression turned grim.

"Enough of this. Razor and T-Bone need my help, whether they want it or not." The newly dubbed "Kat" headed over to the TurboCycle and got on. She started the engine and drove it onto the platform. Once she reached the platform, Kat pushed a button on the TurboCycle, causing the platform to lower her down below to the underground tunnel...

Meanwhile, somewhere inside the massive aircraft, T-Bone slowly opened his eyes. He realized that he was in a prison cell. T-Bone tried to move, but found out that his arms and legs were shackled to the wall. T-Bone heard a groan from beside him and noticed that Razor was slowly waking up.

"How ya doing, buddy?" T-Bone asked.

"I've been better," Razor muttered as he looked up at his partner. "Any idea who did this to us?"

"Not a clue, Razor," T-Bone reluctantly confessed. "I was pretty out of it."

"T-Bone, maybe we can use the Glovatrixes to get outta here," Razor suggested.

"Maybe not, buddy," T-Bone muttered out loud, gesturing toward a table in front of them.

Razor looked up and gasped when he saw their Glovatrixes resting on top of the table. Suddenly, the two Swat Kats heard someone approaching the door to their cell.

"Looks like we're about to find out who's behind all this," Razor remarked as he and T-Bone watched the doorknob slowly turn. The door was opened and two familiar pink winged creatures entered the cell.

"Creeplings?" T-Bone exclaimed out of surprise.

"Then that must mean..." Razor muttered thoughtfully.

Just then, as if on cue, the familiar tall purple tomkat dressed in gray with a black cloak and hood entered the room.

"Dark Kat!" Razor and T-Bone gasped simultaneously.

"Greetings, Swat Kats!" Dark Kat greeted mockingly with a deep laugh.

"Yeah, same to you, Dark Crud!" T-Bone retorted.

"I'd watch what I say if I were you," Dark Kat warned him. "I thought that you two fighter pilots were too smart to fall for my trap."

"Trap?" Razor repeated.

"I deliberately created that 'weak spot' since I knew that you'd be looking for one," Dark Kat explained.

"Oh, don't tell me you made this big fancy spaceship just to capture us!" T-Bone retorted sarcastically.

"Of course not!" Dark Kat returned. "With you two locked up in here, I'll finally be able to take over MegaKat City and create my own Dark Kat City!" Dark Kat let out a deep, menacing laugh that echoed throughout the room.

"Yeah, like we haven't heard that before," Razor retorted under his breath.

Dark Kat abruptly stopped laughing and looked over at the two Creeplings. "Keep an eye on them for me, my Creeplings," he instructed the pink creatures, who nodded in approval. "I have more important business to take care of now, such as taking over MegaKat City!"

Dark Kat let out another sinister laugh as he left the room, leaving the imprisoned Swat Kats alone with the two Creeplings...

In the meantime, the kats of MegaKat City were still in a panic. There was no sign of their renegade heroes, the Swat Kats, and the Enforcers were having no luck at all penetrating the force field surrounding the looming spaceship. Suddenly, the massive aircraft fired two large missiles. One struck an Enforcer chopper and sent it crashing into the bay, while the other struck a large building, sending bricks and debris flying down to the city streets below. The kats were in such a frenzy that they didn't really pay attention to Kat pulling up in the TurboCycle.

"Oy! What a mess we got here! The Enforcers aren't even putting a dent in that thing!" Kat exclaimed as she stopped the TurboCycle and looked up at the aircraft and the remaining Enforcer helicopters flying overhead.

"Looks like the only way to help is to get this TurboCycle in the air," Kat muttered to herself. She looked around at the street she was on and noticed that it was at least twice the length of the underground tunnel in the secret hangar.

"This might work," Kat muttered as she revved up the TurboCycle. She drove it down the street until she reached the end of it. Kat turned the TurboCycle around and pressed the button marked "Jet Mode." As she drove down the street as fast as she could, a pair of black mini-jet wings ejected from either side of the TurboCycle, complete with small yellow intakes. Kat lifted her legs up so the wings wouldn't hit them. As she was reaching the end of the street, a glass canopy with a red metal frame lifted up in front of her and encased her.

"Guess it's now or never," Kat muttered to herself as she flipped a switch on the panel in front of her. She felt the mini-turbojet engines fire up with increasing power as the TurboCycle sped up even more. Kat gasped out of surprise as the TurboCycle lifted off of the street and into the air.

"I can't believe it! It really works!" she exclaimed as she steered it towards the massive spacecraft. "Razor's a genius! I'll make sure to tell him that when I find him and T-Bone."

"Halt! Where do you think you're going?" a deep tomkat's voice echoed from an outdoor radio. Kat looked through the glass canopy and noticed that the voice came from the pilot of the lead Enforcer helicopter, whom she recognized.

"That must be Commander Feral," Kat muttered to herself. "Should I even bother answering him?" She thought about it for a few moments. "Nah! I got more important things to do." Kat steered the TurboCycle away from the cluster of Enforcer choppers and headed toward the aircraft.

"Razor must have found a weak spot around here," Kat muttered as she studied the force field through her radar screen. "Ah-ha! There it is!" she exclaimed. "Let's see...which missile would be best for this?" Kat looked up and down at the selection of missiles.

"Hmm... this scrambler missile should do the trick," Kat muttered as she pressed the button. Instantly, a yellow missile launcher rose up from behind her head and shot one of the scrambler missiles. The missile struck the force field and a noticeable tear appeared, surrounded by a pale pink glow.

"Hang on, guys! I'm coming in!" Kat shouted. She flew through the tear in the force field, which closed a few seconds afterwards. After searching around a little bit, Kat found the same landing dock that her friends went through, according to the KatsEye News broadcast. She entered the landing dock and landed the TurboCycle on the metal floor.

"Yup, this is definitely where Razor and T-Bone landed," Kat remarked as she looked up at the TurboKat parked alongside her. As she looked around, she spotted a metal door. After taking a Glovatrix and placing it on her left arm, Kat got up from the TurboCycle, approached the door, and tried to turn the handle.

"Aw, crud! It's locked!" Kat exclaimed in disappointment. She bent down and carefully examined the lock. "I should be able to pick this, no problem." She extracted her claws and stuck one of her claws into the keyhole.

_I know I promised myself and Dr. Lynx that I'd never do this again, but this is different. My friends' lives are at stake here!_ she thought as she continued to pick the lock with her claw.

Kat kept one ear against the door, listening for the familiar click that would indicate to her that she succeeded in unlocking the door. As soon as she heard the click, Kat removed her claw from the keyhole and slowly opened the door. She found herself in a long hallway, with several doors and connecting hallways.

"Aw, crud! This place is like a maze!" Kat exclaimed. She started to walk down the hallway. She reached another hallway and, after carefully peering around the corner to make sure no one was there, she headed down it to find even more doors and hallways. Kat was about to head down the second hallway when she saw a door open. She headed back into the first hallway and peeked around the corner to see who it was.

"It's Dark Kat!" Kat gasped, recognizing the tall purple kat from some of her newspaper clippings. She watched carefully as he walked down the hall in the opposite direction and turned into another hallway.

"I'll bet my nine lives that Razor and T-Bone are in that room he just left," Kat muttered. She slowly walked up to the door and looked through the small window. She could see two of Dark Kat's Creeplings and her friends shackled up against the wall...

Meanwhile, inside the room, Razor and T-Bone watched helplessly as the two Creeplings played around with their Glovatrixes. Suddenly, to their surprise, the door unexpectedly flew open. The Creeplings looked up and gasped. Two mini-octopus missiles flew through the open door and pinned the Creeplings against the wall.

"No way! How could that have happened?" T-Bone exclaimed loudly.

"You don't think that..." Razor started.

Before he could finish, Razor got his answer when a familiar she-kat entered the room, completely decked out in Swat Kat gear.

"Tabby!" Razor and T-Bone exclaimed simultaneously.

"Keep it down, you two!" she whispered harshly as she picked up a set of keys resting on the table. "For now, call me Kat, all right?"

"Okay, umm... Kat. What are you doing here?" Razor asked.

"Saving your tails! What does it look like?" Kat retorted as she unlocked the door to the cell.

"Why didn't you stay put like we told you to?" T-Bone asked a bit angrily as Kat started to unlock Razor's shackles. "We could have handled this on our own."

"Yeah, sure. You don't like admitting that you need help, do ya, T-Bone?" Kat asked.

"Probably 'cause I don't need any help!" T-Bone muttered out loud.

"Fine! We'll just leave you here," Kat retorted back to him as she finished unlocking Razor's shackles.

"Knock it off, you two!" Razor told his friends. "We have to work together and stop Dark Kat before he destroys MegaKat City!"

Kat and T-Bone reluctantly nodded in agreement. As Kat unlocked T-Bone's shackles, Razor picked up the Glovatrixes that the Creeplings dropped on the floor.

"There ya go," Kat replied as she finished unlocking T-Bone's shackles.

"Ready, buddy?" Razor asked as he handed T-Bone his Glovatrix.

"Let's kick some tail!" T-Bone shouted as they left the room, followed by Kat.

"Did you see which way Dark Kat went?" Razor asked.

"He went down that hallway over there," Kat replied, pointing at a hall not far from them.

As they headed down the hall, T-Bone asked, "So...Kat, how'd you get up here?"

"I used the TurboCycle," Kat admitted openly, which caught both Razor and T-Bone by surprise.

"The TurboCycle?" Razor repeated. "But, I haven't even tested it!"

"Well, consider it tested, Razor," Kat told him.

When the three Swat Kats reached the hallway that Dark Kat went down, they groaned in disappointment. There were no doors, only three separate hallways.

"Looks like we're gonna have to split up," Razor muttered out loud. "T-Bone, you go down that one on the left. Kat, you take the one on the right. I'll go down the middle. Okay, you two?"

"Right," T-Bone and Kat agreed as the three Swat Kats spilt up and went down the separate hallways...

Meanwhile, inside the main control room of the aircraft, Dark Kat was watching some television monitors, which showed the three Swat Kats wandering down the hallways in search of him. He focused on the monitor with Kat on it.

"So, the Swat Kats have a new member on their team," Dark Kat muttered to himself. "Too bad no one else will see her again, along with the other Swat Kats!" Dark Kat let out a menacing chuckle as he pressed a couple of buttons on the control panel.

"Self-Destruction engaged," a computerized voice reported.

"Excellent!" Dark Kat replied as he got up and opened the door. He checked to see if any of the Swat Kats were around, then he headed down the hallway.

"Hold it right there, Dark Creep!" Dark Kat heard a female voice shout from behind him. He turned around and saw the same new Swat Kat he was watching on his security monitor earlier, her Glovatrix pointed right at him.

"Kat, I presume?" Dark Kat asked menacingly.

"Yeah, that's me," Kat replied grimly. "How'd you know?"

"My ship is completely equipped with security cameras," Dark Kat replied.

"So, you already know that my friends are no longer your prisoners," Kat announced.

"Unfortunately, yes. And you're the one who set them free!" Dark Kat added angrily as he took a step toward Kat.

"Stay back, or I'll shoot!" Kat warned him. Dark Kat apparently ignored her as he took another step toward her.

"I warned you!" Kat fired the Glovatrix at Dark Kat. Unfortunately for her, nothing happened.

"Aw, crud! It must be jammed!" Kat exclaimed as she looked down at her Glovatrix. She looked up and gasped when she saw Dark Kat standing right in front of her. He grabbed Kat by her shirt collar and lifted her up in the air, nearly choking her.

"Let her go, Dark Kat!" Razor shouted. Dark Kat turned around and saw both Razor and T-Bone standing there, with their Glovatrixes aimed at him.

"If you insist, Swat Kats," Dark Kat replied. He suddenly threw Kat at Razor and T-Bone. They managed to catch her, but ended up falling to the floor in the process. Dark Kat took this opportunity to make his escape.

"Cripes! I'm so sorry, guys," Kat apologized as she, Razor, and T-Bone quickly got up.

"Save it for later, kid! We gotta stop Dark Kat!" T-Bone interrupted.

As they started to run in the same direction that Dark Kat headed, Dark Kat's voice boomed, "I wouldn't do that if I were you!" The three Swat Kats stopped dead in their tracks.

"And why should we, Dark Crud?" Razor asked.

"Because I set this ship to self-destruct right over your precious city!" Dark Kat explained over the ship's intercom system. The Swat Kats gasped when they heard this news.

"You have a choice: you can attempt to capture me, or you can try to disable the self-destruct program to save MegaKat City. It's your choice, Swat Kats!" Dark Kat let out a deep menacing laugh before he cut off the connection.

"We need to find the control room, and fast!" Razor exclaimed.

"It's down this way," Kat explained as she led Razor and T-Bone to the very room she saw Dark Kat leave before she attempted to hold him up.

"Five minutes left until self-destruction begins," the computerized voice announced as the three Swat Kats entered the control room.

"We need to disarm this so the ship doesn't explode," Razor explained as he started typing away on the control panel.

"To disengage self-destruct sequence, please enter password," the computerized voice instructed.

"Aw, crud!" Razor muttered out loud.

"Can you override it, Razor?" Kat asked.

"I'll try," Razor muttered thoughtfully as he continued typing.

"Is it working at all, buddy?" T-Bone asked impatiently.

"I don't think so, T-Bone," Razor muttered worriedly.

"Four minutes left until self-destruction begins," the computerized voice announced.

"Thanks for letting us know," T-Bone retorted sarcastically.

"Mind if I try something?" Kat asked.

"Sure, Kat," Razor replied as he moved out of Kat's way.

As Kat started typing away at the control panel, T-Bone whispered, "Are you sure about this, Razor?"

"Don't worry, buddy," Razor assured his partner. "Kat seems to know what she's doing. Don't forget, she does have a bachelors in Computer Technology."

"That should do it," Kat announced as she moved away from the control panel a bit.

Just then, the computerized voice announced, "Auto-Pilot engaged. Destination: MegaKat Bay."

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" Razor exclaimed.

"Think of what, Razor?" T-Bone asked curiously.

"Kat activated the auto-pilot and programmed it to head toward MegaKat Bay," Razor explained. "That way, when the ship self-destructs, MegaKat City won't go down with it."

"That sounds like a good idea, but what if the ship explodes with us in it?" T-Bone asked sarcastically. "And even if we do get off the ship in time, there's still that force field to worry about, buddy."

"Don't worry, T-Bone. I didn't forget about that," Kat remarked, who was back typing away at the control panel.

A few moments later, the computerized voice announced, "Force fields have been lowered."

"Now that that's been taken care of, let's book it!" Kat announced as she stood up. "We only have about three minutes before this ship blows up!" The three Swat Kats ran out of the control room into the hallway.

"Which way is the TurboKat?" T-Bone asked uncertainly.

"It's this way! Follow me!" Kat shouted as she ran down the hall.

As Razor and T-Bone ran after her, the computerized voice announced over the intercom system, "Three minutes left until self-destruction begins." Razor and T-Bone finally caught up with Kat, who had stopped at a door.

"Right through here, guys," she told them as all three of them went through the door. Both Razor and T-Bone were relieved to see the TurboKat in one piece. They jumped into their jet's cockpit, while Kat took her seat on the TurboCycle.

"Ready for take-off, Kat?" T-Bone asked through Kat's radio.

"You bet I am!" Kat replied through the radio as she revved up the TurboCycle. She waited for the TurboKat to leave the landing dock first, and then she took off after it in the TurboCycle.

"How are you handling the TurboCycle?" Razor asked curiously.

"Running pretty smoothly so far, Razor," Kat admitted. She turned around and looked at Dark Kat's aircraft, which had already turned away from MegaKat City and had started to head for MegaKat Bay. After going a few miles out, the ship suddenly exploded into a gigantic fireball, with fiery debris and pieces of metal landing into the cold ocean water below.

"Nice going, Kat," Kat heard T-Bone congratulate her over the radio. She looked over at the TurboKat, which was flying right next to her. Kat smiled a bit when she saw both Razor and T-Bone giving her the thumbs-up.

"Thanks, guys," Kat replied over the radio as they started to head back to the salvage yard...

"You did really awesome out there, Tabby," Jake openly admitted as he and Chance were sitting on the couch, while Tabby was standing in front of them.

"Even I have to admit, you did good out there, kid," Chance added.

"Well, honestly, I don't know if Kat's gonna be making another appearance anytime soon," Tabby muttered out loud.

"What do you mean?" Jake asked.

"I only did it to help you guys out, nothing more," Tabby explained. "Besides, with all the fuss that was going on in MegaKat City, with Dark Kat's ship and all, I doubt anyone even noticed me." She let out a heavy sigh as she plopped down on the couch in between Jake and Chance.

"Ya sure no one noticed?" Chance asked nonchalantly as he picked up the remote control.

"What are you getting at?" Tabby asked suspiciously.

"Have you seen the news lately?" Jake asked as Chance turned the television on. On the screen was Ann Gora from the KatsEye News.

"This is Ann Gora, KatsEye News, with some groundbreaking news that happened during the crisis with the mysterious ship that appeared above MegaKat City earlier today. Our cameras have caught footage of a mysterious third Swat Kat driving down the streets of MegaKat City on a strange new motorcycle." The television screen switch to a split screen, showing Ann Gora on one half and footage of Kat on the TurboCycle on the other half.

"Looks like you got noticed after all, Tabby," Jake remarked. Tabby's jaw nearly dropped to the floor from shock.

"I can't believe it!" she exclaimed.

"Now everyone in the city knows about Kat," Chance added as he turned off the television. "No one in MegaKat City misses the KatsEye News."

"It's too bad that Kat isn't gonna be helping us out anymore," Jake stated a bit teasingly as he stood up. "I'm gonna miss working with her."

"Yeah. Same here, buddy," Chance added as he stood up as well.

"What are you guys saying?" Tabby asked.

"What we're saying is that we'd like you to be a part of the team... the Swat Kat team!" Jake told her.

"You guys really mean that?" Tabby asked with a hint of excitement in her voice as she stood up.

"You bet we do, kid," Chance replied.

"Ya sure about this?" Tabby asked curiously. "You're not gonna be intimidated by having a girl on your team, are you?"

"No way!" Chance exclaimed. "No one intimidates old T-Bone!"

"Looks like I'm gonna have to change that!" Tabby retorted.

"Ooo, I'm so scared," Chance whimpered mockingly.

"So, is that a yes, Tabby?" Jake asked.

Tabby thought silently about the offer for a few moments. "That's a definite yes, Jake," she finally replied.

"You're sure about this, Tabby?" Chance asked. "It's gonna be a lot of hard work and training involved. We don't want any slackers on our team."

"Hey, I'm no slacker, Chance!" Tabby claimed boldly. "I can pull my own weight!" Jake and Chance quickly glanced at each other and nodded approvingly.

"That's just the kind of attitude we're looking for, Tabby," Jake said as he extended his paw to her. "Welcome to the team!"

Tabby smiled broadly as she took Jake's paw. "Thanks, Jake."

"Don't forget about me, Tabby," Chance interrupted as he placed his large paw on top of Jake and Tabby's paws.

"And thank you, too, Chance," Tabby added. "Now, are you gonna stop calling me 'kid'?"

"Maybe," Chance teased.

"Maybe?" Tabby shouted angrily. "I don't want a maybe, Chance!" Jake shook his head as the arguing between Chance and Tabby continued...


End file.
